Byzantines - Darts in combat

[serenity]

Hi

In the combat phase if you don’t throw your javelins in the shooting phase you gain one die per two bases in the front rank (rounded up).

As a missile weapon darts are akin to javelins. I was wondering if the same rule for javelins applied to darts in combat, i.e. you gain an additional die/dice if they were not used in the preceding shooting phase?

Thanks, Andy

[MartinG]

No darts are only useful in the shooting phase, where of course they interface with bow-armed rear ranks to give many more shooting dice than a javelin-armed unit can muster.

[serenity]

Thanks Martin

[Andyjp]

So Darts are not as good as Javelins (no combat bonus).

Bow in the second rank would work with Javelins too as well to give two ranks firing, unless there is something stopping this

Yet cost the same? Unless I’m missing something?

[Atheling]

So Darts are not as good as Javelins (no combat bonus).

Bow in the second rank would work with Javelins too as well to give two ranks firing, unless there is something stopping this

I'm certainly no expert but I have designed my Early Byzantine lists to reflect the two ranks firing, one with darts and the other with bows.

Yet cost the same? Unless I’m missing something?

That has always struck me as odd as the combat bonus is certainly going to be of more value (especially given the short range of darts).

[Andyjp]

Maybe allow Darts to be thrown from rear ranks? Or increase the range? Or just give the unit the combat bonus and be done with it.

[Atheling]

Maybe allow Darts to be thrown from rear ranks? Or increase the range? Or just give the unit the combat bonus and be done with it.

Personally, I don't know why they aren't treated as javelins. That's almost certainly what they effectively were if delivered from a higher trajectory.

There's a couple of excellent videos from Tod's Workshop on YouTube where he does some experimentation with Darts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfgMfSZiQS

And:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNlgb79A4mM

Both well worth a watch.